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relly's reviews
2332 reviews
Over Sea, Under Stone: The Dark is Rising sequence by Susan Cooper
4.0
4 stars
I remember this series being one of the first books I read at school many moons ago. I’ve wanted to reread it for a while but was worried it wouldn’t hold up to my memory. I shouldn’t have worried at all as this was just as good as I remember.
It’s hard to remember at times that Simon, Jane and Barney are kids, as they use their intelligence and follow the map they found. There was only a couple of times I thought no don’t do that, as they did something silly, but at some time I’ve read adult characters that would have made the same choices.
I love the Arthurian storyline and the whole good vs evil, so very much looking forward to continuing on the series
I remember this series being one of the first books I read at school many moons ago. I’ve wanted to reread it for a while but was worried it wouldn’t hold up to my memory. I shouldn’t have worried at all as this was just as good as I remember.
It’s hard to remember at times that Simon, Jane and Barney are kids, as they use their intelligence and follow the map they found. There was only a couple of times I thought no don’t do that, as they did something silly, but at some time I’ve read adult characters that would have made the same choices.
I love the Arthurian storyline and the whole good vs evil, so very much looking forward to continuing on the series
Hold On by Kristen Ashley
3.75
3.75 Stars
Audio Review
Good End to the series.
I liked Cher and how she was with Ethan. She was a good mother.
Merry I didn't like after Rocky's book, I wasn't happy with how he reacted throughout that book, but he redeems himself throughout the book.
I enjoyed with this one that once they were together they were together.
I loved the Epilogue and seeing how everyones lives turned out.
This series had a different narrator for each book which in some ways was good as each lead had their own voice but the annoying part was the reoccurring side characters or characters from previous books sounded different in each book and that was a little frustrating
Audio Review
Good End to the series.
I liked Cher and how she was with Ethan. She was a good mother.
Merry I didn't like after Rocky's book, I wasn't happy with how he reacted throughout that book, but he redeems himself throughout the book.
I enjoyed with this one that once they were together they were together.
I loved the Epilogue and seeing how everyones lives turned out.
This series had a different narrator for each book which in some ways was good as each lead had their own voice but the annoying part was the reoccurring side characters or characters from previous books sounded different in each book and that was a little frustrating
Redirection by Gregory Ashe
4.0
4 stars
This one took me round in circles.
North is very much like Hazard in his personality. He grew up poorer than Shaw and their friend group and has always felt that hanging over him, along with his volatile relationship with his father giving him a massive chip on his shoulder that is a hair trigger for him. This one brings out all of his insecurities and at times he comes off like a raving lunatic who I wouldn't ask to find my dog let alone help me get off a murder charge. But at the same time I felt for him and understood where he was coming from. He never should have been asked to get tucker off the murder charge. He wasn't objective enough.
Shaw I also felt for here, no matter which way he went, it was the wrong way. He put himself in a position that he wasn't happy with in the relationship/ non-relationship they had and he really tried to get it through to north in his way, but North wasn't hearing him.
The murder mystery was really well done and the culprits went round and round. I hated Tucker before but now I'm glad his true colours really came out and North finally fought back.
This one took me round in circles.
North is very much like Hazard in his personality. He grew up poorer than Shaw and their friend group and has always felt that hanging over him, along with his volatile relationship with his father giving him a massive chip on his shoulder that is a hair trigger for him. This one brings out all of his insecurities and at times he comes off like a raving lunatic who I wouldn't ask to find my dog let alone help me get off a murder charge. But at the same time I felt for him and understood where he was coming from. He never should have been asked to get tucker off the murder charge. He wasn't objective enough.
Shaw I also felt for here, no matter which way he went, it was the wrong way. He put himself in a position that he wasn't happy with in the relationship/ non-relationship they had and he really tried to get it through to north in his way, but North wasn't hearing him.
The murder mystery was really well done and the culprits went round and round. I hated Tucker before but now I'm glad his true colours really came out and North finally fought back.
Misdirection by Gregory Ashe
4.0
4 stars
I really enjoyed this one and while the ending killed me, I was kind of expecting it.
These guys are such good friends which is a good base but at the same time they rely on that too much and there is too much history with shared and seperate that needs to be needs to be dealt with.
Pari's words to Shaw at the end were spot on. North has never had someone love him as much and the same way that he loves them. He deserves that. He also needs to work out his issues with Tucker and with money. Shaw was absolutely in the wrong here to me and the explanation didn't make sense to me at all.
I also liked the cases they worked. I felt for Flip. He was in a no win situation. The solution to Ronnie was well done, though I believe we haven't seen the last of him.
Good instalment
I really enjoyed this one and while the ending killed me, I was kind of expecting it.
These guys are such good friends which is a good base but at the same time they rely on that too much and there is too much history with shared and seperate that needs to be needs to be dealt with.
Pari's words to Shaw at the end were spot on. North has never had someone love him as much and the same way that he loves them. He deserves that. He also needs to work out his issues with Tucker and with money. Shaw was absolutely in the wrong here to me and the explanation didn't make sense to me at all.
I also liked the cases they worked. I felt for Flip. He was in a no win situation. The solution to Ronnie was well done, though I believe we haven't seen the last of him.
Good instalment
The Will of the Many by James Islington
4.5
4.5 Stars
Buddy Read
Thank you to the crew who voted for this one. I'd never heard of it and the length would have put me off. This one hooked me very quickly and spun me so much into the story that I was wanting to speed through and at the same time slow it down and take it all in.
I loved Vis and sympathised with his plight He was really stuck between and rock and hard place with no good options available to him. His intelligence is off the charts and he uses it as weapon in nearly every interaction he has.
It's great to see him make friends at the academy, and slowly begin to trust. He befriended the outcasts and forms a tight circle, which made the near ending sequence hard to read.
Everyone in this has their own agenda and it made it hard to work out who was friend and who was foe. I do wish he had of opened up more to Callidus and Eidhin but understood why didn't.
That ending killed me. Can't wait to see where the next book leads
Buddy Read
Thank you to the crew who voted for this one. I'd never heard of it and the length would have put me off. This one hooked me very quickly and spun me so much into the story that I was wanting to speed through and at the same time slow it down and take it all in.
I loved Vis and sympathised with his plight He was really stuck between and rock and hard place with no good options available to him. His intelligence is off the charts and he uses it as weapon in nearly every interaction he has.
It's great to see him make friends at the academy, and slowly begin to trust. He befriended the outcasts and forms a tight circle, which made the near ending sequence hard to read.
Everyone in this has their own agenda and it made it hard to work out who was friend and who was foe. I do wish he had of opened up more to Callidus and Eidhin but understood why didn't.
That ending killed me. Can't wait to see where the next book leads
Indirection by Gregory Ashe
4.0
4 stars
What an enjoyable return to North and Shaw's world
I love the way they interact, the way they bounce off each other and try and one up the other's verbal parry is well done. I also liked the way the relationship is not smooth sailing. Even through they have know each other for years, they are still learning about each other and both guys carry wounds from their previous relationships that rear their heads at certain times. They do talk it out which is refreshing, even if Shaw needs Pari to force the issue. Thankfully she wasn't as annoying in this volume.
I really enjoyed the convention setting for the mystery element. It was done well and kept me entertained trying to work out who did it and why.
What an enjoyable return to North and Shaw's world
I love the way they interact, the way they bounce off each other and try and one up the other's verbal parry is well done. I also liked the way the relationship is not smooth sailing. Even through they have know each other for years, they are still learning about each other and both guys carry wounds from their previous relationships that rear their heads at certain times. They do talk it out which is refreshing, even if Shaw needs Pari to force the issue. Thankfully she wasn't as annoying in this volume.
I really enjoyed the convention setting for the mystery element. It was done well and kept me entertained trying to work out who did it and why.
The Promise by Kristen Ashley
3.0
3 stars
Audio Review
I knew this one was going to be disappointing coming into it, and to be honest the audio was better than the eBook.
I think part of the problem is the timeline is off kilter for this one, and it is really noticeable when listening to them one after the other. This one should have been straight after At Peace, and if it was written then maybe we would have still had the feisty Frankie.
Frankie in At Peace was fabulous, and Benny was a jerk. I was dying to see how he made it up to her. Unfortunately there was not a lot of apologizing going on. The only one who actually tried to apologize was Manny. Everyone else was ok for Frankie to just give them a hug and move on. That's not good enough. They made her life hell for 7 years, until it got to the point of her wanting to move away, and then she saved Vi and all of a sudden she's gold. Benny himself did not do enough to make up for the bad way he treated her.
If you ignore all that happened in At peace and just take this one as is, it's not a bad read. I wish Frankie wasn't such a walk over but she is what she is.
Audio Review
I knew this one was going to be disappointing coming into it, and to be honest the audio was better than the eBook.
I think part of the problem is the timeline is off kilter for this one, and it is really noticeable when listening to them one after the other. This one should have been straight after At Peace, and if it was written then maybe we would have still had the feisty Frankie.
Frankie in At Peace was fabulous, and Benny was a jerk. I was dying to see how he made it up to her. Unfortunately there was not a lot of apologizing going on. The only one who actually tried to apologize was Manny. Everyone else was ok for Frankie to just give them a hug and move on. That's not good enough. They made her life hell for 7 years, until it got to the point of her wanting to move away, and then she saved Vi and all of a sudden she's gold. Benny himself did not do enough to make up for the bad way he treated her.
If you ignore all that happened in At peace and just take this one as is, it's not a bad read. I wish Frankie wasn't such a walk over but she is what she is.
The Mystery of the Bones by C.S. Poe
4.25
Thank you Strike a Pose Elf
4.25 Stars
This one sucked me right in and I really enjoyed the mystery here.
Poor Sebastian, he tried everything to stay out of the mystery, no matter how the killer tried to pull him in, and only hit it full throttle once Calvin was in danger.
I really enjoy that Sebastian uses his knowledge to work these cases out. I also enjoyed in this one that Quinn & Neil looked to him and gave him the room to manoeuvre that he needed to solve the case.
It seemed to finish up pretty quickly once Sebastian was all in and I truely wanted it to go longer
4.25 Stars
This one sucked me right in and I really enjoyed the mystery here.
Poor Sebastian, he tried everything to stay out of the mystery, no matter how the killer tried to pull him in, and only hit it full throttle once Calvin was in danger.
I really enjoy that Sebastian uses his knowledge to work these cases out. I also enjoyed in this one that Quinn & Neil looked to him and gave him the room to manoeuvre that he needed to solve the case.
It seemed to finish up pretty quickly once Sebastian was all in and I truely wanted it to go longer
Games of the Heart by Kristen Ashley
4.0
4 stars
Audio book review
I love this book and that is all because of Dusty, Finn and Reese.
Dusty is one of the best KA heroines, in that she doesn't take any rubbish. Mike let her down three times and she walked away. He then had to chase her. She stands up for herself and doesn't take the blame or let the blame be shifted on to her.
Mike is one of my least favourite MC's. He jumped to conclusions and treats Dusty bad. I just don't like him. Yes he does apologise when he works it out and does self reflect to understand he is in the wrong. But most of the time he comes across too heavy handed and it just doesn't work for him.
I loved the secondary storyline of Finn and Reese.
Audio book review
I love this book and that is all because of Dusty, Finn and Reese.
Dusty is one of the best KA heroines, in that she doesn't take any rubbish. Mike let her down three times and she walked away. He then had to chase her. She stands up for herself and doesn't take the blame or let the blame be shifted on to her.
Mike is one of my least favourite MC's. He jumped to conclusions and treats Dusty bad. I just don't like him. Yes he does apologise when he works it out and does self reflect to understand he is in the wrong. But most of the time he comes across too heavy handed and it just doesn't work for him.
I loved the secondary storyline of Finn and Reese.
Obsessed by Sloane Kennedy
4.0
4 Stars
I loved these guys, as I felt they both made improvements throughout the book.
At the start Sam is closed off and other than with his kids, living in the past with Mac. He doesn't want to move on, and I think that he made the most changes throughout the book. His confidence level skyrocketed till he was not only prepared to stand up and fifth for his man he was prepared to put himself on the line to do it. He confronted his demons and stood up to all the macho guys. He went all in.
Matias evolved as well, but his was more easy to see, as he slowly opened himself up to Sam and his gentle loving ways. He became part of the couple, without even realising it, and when the chips were down he let his man do what needed to be done as well as went all in to protect him.
I loved Ryan and how each of the guys was with him.
I also liked how Mac wasn't forgotten. Matias wasn't the one and only and he helped bring Mac into the family more, and allowed Sam to turn him properly.
I loved these guys, as I felt they both made improvements throughout the book.
At the start Sam is closed off and other than with his kids, living in the past with Mac. He doesn't want to move on, and I think that he made the most changes throughout the book. His confidence level skyrocketed till he was not only prepared to stand up and fifth for his man he was prepared to put himself on the line to do it. He confronted his demons and stood up to all the macho guys. He went all in.
Matias evolved as well, but his was more easy to see, as he slowly opened himself up to Sam and his gentle loving ways. He became part of the couple, without even realising it, and when the chips were down he let his man do what needed to be done as well as went all in to protect him.
I loved Ryan and how each of the guys was with him.
I also liked how Mac wasn't forgotten. Matias wasn't the one and only and he helped bring Mac into the family more, and allowed Sam to turn him properly.